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Beyond the 806

Permian Basin community seeks fix for radium in its drinking water

Permian Basin community seeks fix for radium in its drinking water

Pecos County Fresh Water, a utility serving 800 people in Imperial, routinely violates EPA safe drinking water standards, failing federal metrics for "combined radium" and "gross alpha," two measures of radioactivity.

Imperial, a small town, exemplifies this issue. For residents, this means potential health concerns from long-term exposure and the direct financial burden of purchasing bottled water for daily use. Small communities like Imperial often struggle significantly, lacking funds for costly treatment technology or to develop alternative water sources. This creates a serious public health and economic strain on many rural communities across Texas.

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